Pakistan: PML-N says general elections must be held across the country, at the same time in October

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, on Sunday (April 9) said that the country’s general elections should be held across Pakistan at the same time in October, later this year, reported Geo News. This comes after another PML-N official said that the party would agree to hold general elections after the incumbent government completes its term if they are given a ‘level playing field’.

The current government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will complete its five-year constitutional term in August 2023. Iqbal’s remarks were made while addressing a ceremony in Narowal. The PML-N senior leader said that the federal and provincial elections should be held at the same time in the country, reported Geo News.

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The Federal Minister for Planning also spoke about how there will be issues in early elections in Punjab and it will be equivalent to weakening the federation considering that the country is witnessing a constitutional and political crisis. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), last week announced that the elections in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region will be held on the same day as Punjab which is October 8.

Echoing a similar sentiment as his party senior leader, Interior Minist­­er Rana Sanaullah, on Saturday also said that given the country’s current financial situation general elections should be held in October. Sanaullah’s remarks were made during a TV interview with a private news channel where he also spoke about how the judiciary should constitute a full court to hear petitions of political parties regarding the elections, reported Dawn.

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This was in reference to a request that political parties in Pakistan have made to the Supreme Court for constituting a larger bench to listen to the genuine complaints of public representatives regarding elections in Punjab. Meanwhile, Federal minister and senior PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif said that his party would accept the general elections if his party is given a ‘level playing field’ in the political process.

What has the opposition PTI said about the elections in October?

The ousted former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has been demanding early national elections since he was removed from office following a no-confidence motion, last year. However, he has reportedly also said that his decision would depend on the PDM-led government’s plan for the upcoming elections and if they ensure that everything would be in order, adding that then he would wait till October for the elections.

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